Comparative review: 67 casefans

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Turning speed, size and volume levels

The performance of a fan is dependent on a few different factors, and this is also the case for the amount of noise it makes. The displacement of air is dependent specifically on three issues: the surface area of the fan's blades, the speed of the fan and the design and angle of the blades. Naturally the greater the surface area at the same speed yields more displacement of air, and that a high speed yields more displacement than a low one. The last variable is less obvious, but the shape of the blades and their angle has a large effect on the current. A more aggressive angle creates more displacement, but also means a higher level of volume. The speed of the fan has similar properties: an increase also means an increase of volume levels.

Thankfully, this is not the case for the area of the fan. A larger surface area creates an exponential increase in displacement, but for the noise levels a larger diameter only means a smaller increase, not in proportion to the increase in displacement.This means that a larger fan at low speed can move as much air as a smaller one at higher speeds, at noticably lower sound levels.